-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monday began on an optimistic note for many of the journalists who had campaigned for the release of three imprisoned Al Jazeera English journalists in Egypt . They expected that the journalists -- Peter Greste , Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed -- would be freed after nearly six months behind bars . `` Make this freedom day , '' Al Jazeera correspondent Sue Turton wrote on Twitter .

Alex Thomson , an anchor for Britain 's Channel 4 News who 'd carried masking tape with him for months and posted dozens of Twitter photos of his mouth duct-taped in a dramatic show of solidarity with the Al Jazeera journalists , had taken a picture of a full roll of tape and written hopefully Sunday , `` Goodbye to all this ? Verdict is tomorrow . ''

But after the verdict was read , and the three journalists were sentenced to seven-plus years in prison , Thomson adorned the duct tape once again and posted a new photo . He captioned it , `` Depressing day for freedom of speech . ''

Thomson 's point of view was shared by reporters , producers and editors the world over . Staffers at the BBC planned a minute of silence Tuesday morning to demonstrate support for their counterparts at Al Jazeera . CNN called the sentencing `` unjust '' and said in a statement , `` We stand alongside the journalistic community in calling for the immediate release of these journalists . ''

Officials in the United States , Canada , United Kingdom , Australia and other countries criticized the sentencing , and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Egypt 's President to consider `` all available remedies , including pardons . ''

However , President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Tuesday that he would not intervene in the case , Egypt 's state-run Al-Ahram news website reported .

`` I will not interfere in the verdicts of the justice system because the Egyptian judiciary is independent and proud , '' the President said , speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Military Academy in Cairo .

He added that `` no one should comment or speak about the state 's institutions , and we should adhere to the verdicts of the justice system even when others do n't understand it . ''

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also defended itself Monday amid the international condemnation , saying it `` strongly rejects any comment from a foreign party that casts doubt on the independence of the Egyptian judiciary and the justice of its verdicts . ''

An editorial in Tuesday 's New York Times called the convictions `` the latest effort by the country 's military-backed rulers to crush all dissent . '' The Times noted that `` the defendants are allowed to appeal the verdicts , but the process could take years . ''

On Tuesday morning , one of Greste 's brothers , Andrew , said he would be visiting him in prison . Peter Greste had previously worn white clothes during the trial , but now , in accordance with Egyptian standards for convicted prisoners , `` he 'll be dressed in blue , '' Andrew wrote on Twitter . `` It 's going to be tough . ''

Turton , who was at Al Jazeera 's headquarters in Doha , Qatar , on Monday and sentenced in absentia to 10 years in an Egyptian prison , said in a televised interview that Monday 's verdicts were `` heartbreaking . ''

`` We really thought we could trust the Egyptian judicial system to be fair , '' she said .

Other Al Jazeera journalists spoke out with ferocity on Twitter and other social networking sites .

Correspondent Anita McNaught reacted to the verdict by tweeting , `` Wrong . Wrong . Wrong . Mad . Wrong . Peter , Baher and Mohamed did nothing to deserve this #Egypt . ''

Correspondent Alan Fisher wrote , `` Every journalist in the world should be concerned about the message this sends . ''

James Bays , the network 's diplomatic correspondent , urged his colleagues to remember the `` sense of anger and injustice today , and campaign every day until we get them out . ''

That 's what Al Anstey , the managing director of Al Jazeera English , promised to do . He said in a statement Monday that the Egyptian court 's ruling `` defies logic , sense , and any semblance of justice . ''

Using the hashtag adopted by the network and its supporters , he wrote on Twitter , `` Thank you for your support to #freeajstaff . Keep it going . We will continue with resolve till Peter , Baher and Mohamed are free . ''

Lindsey Hilsum , the international editor for Channel 4 News , who was in Baghdad on Monday , posted a picture of herself there with her face gagged , like Thomson with his duct tape .

`` Some say we campaign more about unjust imprisonment of journalists than others , '' she wrote on Twitter . `` But if we are silenced , how will you know about the rest ? ''

CNN 's Ali Younes contributed to this report .

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NEW : President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says he will not interfere in the case

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Three Al Jazeera English journalists convicted , sentenced in Egypt

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British news anchor says it 's a `` depressing day for freedom of speech ''

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Al Jazeera English 's managing director says verdict `` defies logic , sense ''